Bill Nye headshot head shot

Bill Nye

Chief Executive Officer, The Planetary Society

+1-626-793-5100

Bill Nye is The Planetary Society’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He has served as CEO since 2010, providing vision and guidance, leading key organizational decision making, and serving as the public face of The Society.

This content is hosted by a third party (youtube.com), which uses marketing cookies. Please accept marketing cookies to watch this video.

Why did Carl Sagan form The Planetary Society? Carl Sagan said,

Along with serving as CEO of the world’s largest independent space interest group, Nye is also an internationally renowned and award-winning science educator, television presenter, mechanical engineer, science advocate, and author. He is best known as the host of the PBS children’s science show Bill Nye the Science Guy, and for his many subsequent appearances in popular media as a science educator and advocate.

Nye joined The Planetary Society as a charter member when the organization was founded in 1980 and deepened his involvement over time. He joined the Board of Directors in 2005, taking on the role of President of the Board, and was elected to the position of CEO in 2010.

After earning a degree in mechanical engineering at Cornell University, Nye spent more than 20 years working as an engineer for the Boeing Corporation, Sundstrand Data Control (now Honeywell), and other engineering firms in the Seattle area. Drawing on his strengths in science and comedy, Nye went on to create, write, produce, and host the Emmy award-winning television show Bill Nye the Science Guy between 1993 and 1998. He continued his work in television with The Eyes of Nye in 2005 and Bill Nye Saves The World in 2017 and 2018. A documentary film about his life’s work, Bill Nye: Science Guy, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim.

Nye has authored several books, including the New York Times Bestseller Undeniable, Unstoppable, and Everything All at Once. In addition to his many other activities, he travels the world and appears on television on a regular basis, sharing his views on the importance of science and space exploration, and inspiring people of all ages to change the world for the better.

Latest video

This content is hosted by a third party (youtube.com), which uses marketing cookies. Please accept marketing cookies to watch this video.

A new way to travel space - with Bill Nye Did you know there's a way for spacecraft to travel farther, faster, and maybe one day reach other stars? Bill Nye is here to teach you about the game-changing technology called solar sailing.

Latest Articles

Meet The Planetary Academy

Our lifetime love of space exploration can start when we are very young. And so, we have developed The Planetary Academy, a 100% space-related membership created for kids 9 years old and younger.

See JWST’s first deep field image

Bill Nye's reflections on the first deep field image from NASA's JWST mission.

Our Commitment to Work Against Racism

Many of us are having a hard time looking up right now. It’s a painful moment. We here at The Planetary Society recognize we must do more to support Black people, including Black people who love space.

Latest Planetary Radio Appearances

Inspiring the next generation through space education

In this week's episode of Planetary Radio, we're honoring the educators who inspire young, curious minds to explore the marvels of the Cosmos.

JWST confirms its first exoplanet

We celebrate the James Webb Space Telescope's first confirmed exoplanet discovery this week on Planetary Radio. Jacob Lustig-Yaeger, one of the leads on the team that made the detection, joins us to discuss the details.

20th Anniversary of Planetary Radio

Join the Planetary Society’s CEO, its co-founder Louis Friedman, and others as we mark Planetary Radio’s entry into its third decade.